


Aced It

by Jadzia_Bear



Series: Desus ficlet collection [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Asexual Character, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 13:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11082141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzia_Bear/pseuds/Jadzia_Bear
Summary: "If you're going to break my heart," Paul says, "I'd be grateful if you'd at least tell me why."





	Aced It

**Author's Note:**

> A quick ficlet about my take on Daryl's romantic and sexual orientation

See now, this is why Daryl should've nipped this in the bud ages ago, should've punched Paul in his pretty face and told him in no uncertain terms to fuck off. But he didn't, and now elbow nudges and shoulder bumps have turned into lightly brushing fingertips and too much fucking eye contact _._

Paul moves in closer, pinning Daryl up against the edge of the kitchen counter with nothing more than the playful glint in his eye. He laces his fingers through Daryl's, which is something new. It sends a tingling warmth up Daryl's arm and down his spine, and something in his chest begins to swell. Paul moves in closer and Daryl doesn't know why he doesn't push him away. (Who is he kidding? Of course he fucking knows.)

Then, Paul presses his lips to Daryl's, and before Daryl can make any sort of conscious decision about it, he's kissing him back.

Paul's lips are stupidly soft and his beard feels strange, but not in a bad way, and then there's his tongue, which is hot and wet and has Daryl reaching for Paul's hip with his free hand.

Daryl lets it all go on for far too long. When he finally breaks away from the kiss, it's with a sound embarrassingly close to a whimper.

"Already told you, I can't," he rasps.

"In my defence," Paul says with a gentle smile, "all you said was that you don't. I thought maybe I was changing your mind."

Daryl stares at a mark on the kitchen floor. Ain’t even close to being that simple.

Paul rubs his thumb over Daryl's knuckles. "Daryl, I don't want anything from you that you don't want to give me, but I like you, a _lot_ , and I can tell you like me too."

He leaves space for Daryl to deny it. Daryl says nothing.

"So if you're going to break my heart," Paul continues, "I'd be grateful if you'd at least tell me why."

Daryl doesn't have to tell him shit, no matter how much Paul might look like a kicked puppy right now.

"Please, Daryl, work with me." There's an edge of something almost desperate creeping into his voice, something Daryl’s never heard before. "You don't--or can't--have relationships because...?" He gives Daryl's fingers an encouraging squeeze.

Daryl glares at the far wall and decides he might as well get this fucked up conversation over with. Once Paul knows, he won't want Daryl anymore anyway, which will help them both get over whatever the fuck this is and go back to being friends.

"Cuz there's somethin' wrong with me, all right?" Daryl growls. "Can't handle fuckin' all the time like normal people. Makes me..."

Makes him feel trapped, used, like some sort of sex slave, but he's not about to say that out loud.

He pulls his hands away from Paul and crosses his arms tightly over his chest. "Had a girlfriend after high school, and there was a guy after that, but I broke up with both of 'em cuz I couldn't stand havin' to have sex all the time." He can feel his cheeks burning. "There, happy? No one wants a boyfriend who'll only fuck 'em once in a blue moon."

Relief spreads over Paul's face. He lifts his hands like he wants to touch Daryl, but then stops himself. "Daryl, there's nothing wrong with you, I promise."

Daryl shoots him a sceptical look.

Paul is smiling at him, and in a genuine way, not in that shit-eating way he normally does. "So you don't like a lot of sex," he shrugs, "that's a completely legitimate thing. I meant what I said, I don't want anything from you that you don't want to give me. 'Once in a blue moon' is totally doable, if that's something you'd like."

Daryl hears Paul's words, but his brain balks at their meaning.

"You deserve better," Daryl mutters. "Shouldn't have to settle for--"

"Daryl--" this time Paul doesn't stop himself from touching him, wrapping a warm hand around each bicep, "I’m not settling. All I want is you, and if that's too much of a compliment for you to process right now, look at it this way." That shit-eating grin starts to creep back in. "I already jerk off in the shower every morning due to the mere fact of your existence, and I'm so into you that I can't even bear the thought of sleeping with anyone else. So if I'm doing those things anyway, I'd much rather do them while I'm dating you."

Daryl supposes that makes enough sense for him to live with. His breath leaves him on a quiet exhale as he unfolds his arms and sags back against the counter.

Fuck. He's just told Paul one of his biggest secrets and everything is actually okay. Better than, truth be told, _way_ fucking better than just okay.

Paul's palms glide up and down Daryl's bare arms. "I'd really like to kiss you again now. Is that okay?"

Daryl doesn't bother to use words, but he does answer with his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> So my headcanon here is that Daryl is biromantic asexual. Asexuality can, of course, present in many different ways and doesn’t necessarily have to have anything to do with having no/low sex drive or a lack of interest in sex, that’s just the angle I took with this ficlet. Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
